Sage_of_Eyes
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V8: Chapter 10
🕑 Added 2024-08-11 02:13:14 +0000 UTCV8: Chapter 10
…
I think I accidentally destroyed the family unit.
How did I accidentally get rid of one of the most basic societal units?
Apparently, it was because I made it super convenient to not have one.
The childcare facilities are a future societal upgrade that becomes available once the various apocalyptic scenarios start rolling in. The various crises that pop up have effects on a lot of difference income types, which need to be made up with through technology, investment, or social engineering. For example, the squids cause a lot paranoia and fear in the populace, lowering happiness across the empire, so you need to research testing procedures that find their infiltrators. After you set up the blood testing facilities, you put in the money to spread them around and then pay the maintain on them. Once that’s all finished, you get your happiness bonus back, and the morale of your troops stop being dogshit.
Childcare facilities are meant to keep population growth stable through various conflicts. The reasoning for them is that people are finding it difficult to work and get it on with the end of the world looming over their heads. However, if they can place their kids in state facilities that are entrenched and well-protected and closely monitored, then they can work and have kids with less concern. They’re a must build in every game, since having them also gives you certain perfect options when some events pop up. Like if a plague comes up, or some bioterrorist attack happens, the kids are spared outright because you can just quarantine the place off with ease.
So, since I was already making schools in the first place, I made the schools live-in dormitories with caretakers that are well-protected, too. I mean, it just made sense. Having a whole staff team of caretakers take care of groups of children is more cost effective. The all eat in cafeterias, have facilities that monitor their health, and all get exercise and educated at the same time. Their parents can visit on the weekends if they want, and the parents can petition to be moved in adjacent neighborhoods with dedicated trolley systems to the school, so their kids can live with them.
At first, those neighborhoods were full. Kids lived with their parents and the dorms were mostly filled with orphans. There were complaints, some bad teachers here and there that watchdogs had to put down, but Iterants took over the process and eliminated most of that. As more refugees and orphans streamed in, we expanded the facilities, added more residential units in the adjacent family living quarter, and we basically kept trucking along as the years went by.
And, now, the family quarter is only a fifteen percent capacity and Ayah’s proposing we reallocate most of it into homes for workers.
Damn.
I accidentally destroyed the family unit.
…
“Can we double check this information? It may be my upbringing as an orphan speaking, but families can’t be broken by simple convenience, yes?” Another day, another checkup on my districts to validate findings given on reports. My carriage was unmarked and looked like the rest of that trundled along the tracks. Some people who were paying attention would note an unscheduled trolley going along the tracks, but most people just went on with their business not noticing anything strange. Hiding in plain sight, basically. “I didn’t aim to get rid of the family unit, you understand?”
Riegert decided to come along, citing that he didn’t like just waiting around before setting off on another expedition. At this point, we were just looking for nearby Ancient facilities to find another Wonder. I was hoping for two more before things kicked off, and I really hoped that the other guys were also looking for Wonders, too. Sure, they’d be a bitch to fight against, but if they weren’t found they canonically blow up.
I’d like to have them after taking over the other nations, thanks.
“I’m surprised as well, kid. I’ve seen families trek all over the continent together. Kids are born and raised in the same wagon the parents travel in, never leaving until they’ve got their own.” Riegert looked pretty good. A day or two in the medical tanks of the Citadel dealt with most of the stress and pain that came with the expeditions, as well with the war. “I’ve half a mind not to believe the reports, even though the Iterants practically never lie.”
I extended that bonus to my soldiers. If you fought on the field, even if you weren’t injured, you got a ‘spa’ day at the Citadel. Lots of the veterans raved about it, along with the larger food rations they received and their bonus pay, but it was mostly to help them deal with trauma and revitalize their bodies. My soldiers won’t be suffering from hearing loss and knee damage, and having a healthy body should help give them a healthy mind, too. We’re also going through the various drugs to find ones that help with PTSD.
I’d rather not have someone with years of combat experience and internal magic training go on a rampage.
“I mean they should see an influx, since we’ve got a new population group. The Beast tribes we’ve taken in have been making use of the facilities in the Scholar’s old territories.” The Forgers that defected to me were living up there now, along with the Beast tribe. I was counting on Erlan for some mining bonuses and production upgrades to the city, especially since most of the tiles in the region were mountains and hills. Most of the ‘Descendant’ population up there were also Iterants in disguise. If either Erlan or the former tribals raised a fuss, the Iterants will sweep through the Citadel and surrounding region with Guardians. They’ve got potential, but the moment they try to over the region, they’re gone. “But they’re the outlier. The three other regions all have the same thing happening. Kids get put into school, their parents visit on the weekends, and that’s that.”
“From the reports, the families are lavish and spend time together well at the end of the workweek. The kids are bought new clothes, they eat at taverns where pay is needed, and they watch theatre together. They’re happy.” Riegert pointed out, and I nodded. When he talked about reports and findings, it was easier to digest his new look. Roughing it out in the wilderness gave him a taste for the finer things in life. Nice, clean clothes and a lot more maintenance in the hair region. The slicked-back mane and the pointed beard, along with a suit-analogue barely containing his muscle, made him look like some sort of evil vizier… of a hentai game. “It may be strange, but if the findings are correct, will we do something about the family unit being lost? The Ancients were said to do something like what we do now, though the children lived with their parents, they had automated servants doing everything for them.”
“And, the Ancients were felled by those who believed themselves above all others. Let us not forget that the Ancients fought against themselves and nearly destroyed the world entire.” The lore on how things went to shit wasn’t set in stone. However, most lore-analysts agreed that the Ancients were too decadent, too assured of their power, and never anticipated extremist factions of their own populace doing anything crazy. They managed to sucker punch and bring their enemies down, but if they were careful and didn’t fuck up, they wouldn’t have lost in the first place. “We are learning the greatness of the Ancients, but we must also learn from their mistakes. At the very least, we should be more thorough in educating and monitoring the children and their beliefs. We don’t want them to be the source of future problems.”
Riegert hummed.
“I agree, but how would that be done? Well, more so than we already are.” Riegert gestured outside through the thick, transparent armor of the carriage. My personal carriage had a lot of parts built in the Citadel for the sake of safety and protection. It was like a presidential limo, and it could even go off the tracks and operate on its own. It was just safer to mix into the masses of carriages on tracks than operate as a vehicle. “You believe that the children of the future will look at all we’ve made and decide to fight against us?”
The children of the future will be better educated, have more time on their hands, and not worry about food and shelter. Even with healthcare and similar programs providing for everyone, there’ll be people who will want power, who’ll want more, and who’ll wish themselves as rulers. I was banking that they’ll be few, since curriculums are being moderated carefully, and I was doing my best to break down cultural barriers to make everyone line up behind a single idea… but it’s just not that simple.
“Persons change and improve and become better, but people rarely do. Power blocks will form between various strata. Race, money, religion, and more. Factions will form, people will rise to great influence, and when they can’t get what they want… they’ll take help from the outside.” Supporting political enemies of your foes was a cheap way of increasing unrest in their regions, if their happiness is low enough. If you pumped in enough and unrest went high enough, they’ll see rebel units and even armies forming in their lands, which will go rampant to destroy improvements, and even take cities or towns. The reason why I was insistent on making so many improvements in living standards, raising the kids to my ideals, and making sure they were happy… was for my own gain in the end. A happy, satisfied population is one that doesn’t rebel. Hell, it’s a population that’ll fight for you without question. “The Ancients, with their grand and powerful society fell to such things. We are at risk of it as well, especially if we don’t take raise the next generation properly.”
The carriage stopped in front a set of large gates, which opened without a noise, as we and my guards were admitted into the first of four institutions dedicated to raising the children of the city.
Time to see for myself how things are going here.
…
Interlude: Riegret
…
“You’re right. This absolutely looks like a cesspool of future dissidents, my king.”
“Shut up, Riegert.” Jack managed to sound venomous, despite smiling and waving with a crown of flowers on his head. The children were starry-eyed, practically in awe, but the kept their distance with good discipline as he and I walked together down the main path. He called the children’s school an institution, a place where the children were taken away from their parents, but they saw it differently. “Just smile and wave.”
It was palatial in its construction. The main school was an elegant structure at the end of a long park that was separated into four quadrants by stone pathways. Benches were beneath trees. Each quadrant was filled with grass and flowers and gardens maintained by the students. The buildings where children learned surrounded the large park. Brown brick with large windows that let in light to each classroom, they were long constructions instead of wide, the space they took was immense, but not one child was far from the outside as they were taught, as they were given skills their parents never had, and lived in safety.
He gave them the same buildings and opulence once reserved for families of good standing at the Academy.
To those that the Academy would consider rabble.
“Smiling and waving, my lord.” The attendants of the school were all orderly as they lined the large path we walked through. Each student was tall for their age with full cheeks, bright eyes, and no scarring from any disease or poxes. None were missing limbs or were scarred. All had smiles on their faces or light blushes of excitement. Hundreds of children, future citizenry of the nation, all eager to look upon their king, who gave them shelter, food, and purpose the moment they were born. “I shall be sure to protect you with my life once they start brandishing gifts.”
I chuckled at the sidelong glare filled with venom he sent my way, while his eyes were curled up with his wide smile.
He worried for his treatment of these children like he thought he was some warlord plucking them from homes and hearths. The separation of child and parent was on his mind, most likely because of his readings and his own experience. He read about and saw families in his time at the Academy, while never having his own. Thus, he believed that his methods now would invite repercussions. However, the families he saw at the Academy had longstanding grudges, plans to increase their power, and were most likely of low nobility scrambling for all that they can. The bonds of blood were valued as they were allies with mutual goals.
Here… all were equal under the King of Wisdom.
He feared the rise of cultural and racial groups, but as I looked around, I saw only people. Some young women had the ears of beasts on their heads. A few young men had ears that were a bit more pointed. The Conquerors were tall, but they were interspersed in the backline of each class group and had faces of wonder and appreciation towards Jack same as everyone else. Scholar children were at the very front, their short heights accounted for with care by their fellows, and they clapped and cheered and threw flowers same everyone else.
“I think we’re doing fine caring for the kids this way. Maybe in a few generations, we’ll have issues… with room.” I told Jack simply.
“We’ll be expanding. Mostly downward to make sure everyone’s safe.” I almost scoffed at his words. Somehow, he found it lacking. This place where a child does not have to work, where a child can learn everything, they need and more, and not have to worry about food and shelter… is filled with flaws in his eyes. His concerns about the Ancients were true, but it took centuries of neglect and lack of care for them to reach the point he feared. And before that they were ascendant for countless millennia across the stars. “What is it, Riegert? You have something to say?”
When he spoke like that, I couldn’t help but remember the fierce urchin desperately holding onto scales and a pack of food that I met just a few years ago.
Now, I stood beside a king upon whose brow a lay a crown and whose shoulders were burdened by crushing expectations.
His own regarding himself.
“You did good work here, my king. I think you should just accept that it’s working fine.”
“Hmph.”
Comments
Alpha Koka
Hey, confirmation that Erlan and his band of misfits do end up jumping ship. Nice! So Jack's only missing the vamps from his demographics since the Merchants are represented by the tribal folks he just absorbed?
Alpha Koka
Seems that for Jack the "only spend time together on weekends" part sounds like a divorced family hangout.
Gooods
How did this destroy the family unit? It just sounds like parents sending kids to boarding school for the workdays, the parents seem to still together and spend time with their kids.
